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2011年职称英语考试理工B预测试题（阅读理解）
下面第3篇短文，每篇短文后有5道题，每道题后面都有4个选项。请仔细阅读短文并根据短文回答其后面的问题，从4个选项中选择1个最佳答案涂在答题卡相应的位置上。
第一篇 Turning Night into Day
Computers may one day turn night into day — with good old, natural sunlight.
Giant computer-controlled mirrors may one day move around the earth, reflecting sunlight onto a darkened United States.
Two scientists from NASA say that 16 of these mirrors, each about a half mile wide, could reflect the sun’s light would equal about 56 moons.
The mirrors would be so high that they could catch the sun’s light as the sun was shining on the other side of the earth. The mirrors would orbit(环绕轨道运行)— thousands of miles high — at the same speed as the earth spins. That way, the mirrors would always be over the same spot.
The computer-controlled mirrors could also be made to tilt(倾斜) slowly, so the reflected sunlight would sweep slowly along the surface of the earth. For example, as night fell, the mirrors could be tilted to light up Boston. Later on, as darkness moved slowly westward, Chicago, for example, then San Francisco could be lit up. The reflected sunlight would allow these cities to save electricity. And in emergencies, such as power-failures or disasters, the mirrors could light up the affected area.
However, scientists do not know what effect this man-made daytime would have on plants, animals, and humans. Would it confuse some animals and harm plants that are used to regular day-night cycles? Dr. Allen and Dr. Canady suggest that studies be done to find out what bad effects there might be.
31 This passage is mainly about
A the effect of the sun’s light on living things.
B the study of day-night cycles.
C mirror-shaped satellites.
D computer-controlled mirrors in space.
32Computer-controlled mirrors would be used
A to receive and send TV signals.
B to catch sunlight for electricity production.
C to reflect heat onto one area of the earth.
D to reflect sunlight onto a darkened area of the earth.
33 The mirrors would always be over the same place of the earth because
A they would orbit at the same speed as the earth spins.
B they would be solar-powered.
C they would stay high in space.
D they would not move.
34 The mirrors were placed very high in space so that they could
A cover the dark side of the moon.
B catch sunlight and reflect it onto the earth.
C reflect moonlight onto the earth.
D be seen by people everywhere.
35 The last paragraph shows that the effects of the mirrors on living things are
A obvious.
B uncertain.
C unimportant.
D positive. #p#副标题#e#
第二篇 Red for Danger
On 5 October 1999, a local train in west London went through a red light and ran into another one. As a result, more than 30 people died. This kind of error can’t be made in Spain or in Sweden. Nor can the French high-speed-train, the TGV, go through a red light. All these trains are protected by automatic train protection (ATP), which stops trains if they pass through a red light.
In the end we may never know why the driver, who died in the accident, went through the red light. But the evidence points to a system failure. Eight other drivers had been through the same red light in recent years.
Humans make errors. Technology is less likely to fail concerning many repetitive(重复性的) tasks. And we can find in the statistics for railway accidents. Britain’s accident rate is 0.36 deaths for every billion kilometers that passengers travel on the railways. The Swedish accident rate is only 40 per cent of this while the Spanish accident rate is only a quarter of the British rate. If both the trains in last week’s crash had ATP, we would not now be asking such searching questions about why one caught fire.
The years ago, an inquiry into another London train crash showed that it was necessary to install ATP on British railways. The government did not accept the idea, fearing that the 1 billion cost would make the railways difficult to privatize (私有化).
This week, the government said ATP would be now installed on all major routes running express trains — but not on all the network. It is too late. Let’s hope it is not too little.
36 Which of the following is true of the accident on 5 October?
A More than 30 people were killed in it.
B The driver survived the crash.
C Similar accidents often occur in Spain and Sweden.
D There was something wrong with the traffic lights.
37 According to the passage, which of the following is true of ATP？
A It can stop trains if they pass through a red light.
B It has been installed on all French trains.
C It fails when a train passes through a red light.
D It is useless for high-speed trains.
38 According to the passage, which country has the highest train accident rate?
A France.
B Sweden.
C Spain.
D Britain.
39 Ten years ago, the British government did not agree to install ATP on its railways mainly because
A the system was not reliable.
B train drivers did not like it.
C they wanted to privatize the railways.
D they could not afford to install it.
40After the October accident, the British government decided to
A pay 1 billion to the families of the victims.
B install ATP on all major routes running express trains.
C buy ATP from France.
D stop using express trains.#p#副标题#e#
第三篇 Transportation
For many years in the desert, camels were the only form of transportation. Before the age of modern trains, camels were used to carry all the goods for trading between Central Africa and Europe. Traders sometimes put together 10,000 to 15,000 animals. Each animal often used to carry as much as 400 pounds and it could travel twenty miles a day. This form of transportation used to be so important that camels were called “ships of the desert”.
Now modern trains travel across the desert in a very short time. One engine can pull as much weight as 135,000 camels. In addition, trains use special cars(车厢) for their load. Refrigerator cars carry food; boxcars (棚车) carry heavy goods; stock cars carry animals; and tank cars carry oil.
Air travel is also a modern means of transportation, but it has changed since the early twentieth century. The earliest planes were biplanes (双翼飞机), with two sets of wings. The top speed of this plane was 60 miles per hour. The pilots sat or lay on the wings in the open air. The plane engines sometimes stopped in the middle of a trip. It used to be impossible to fly in bad weather. In snow or in rain, the wings frequently became icy. Then the plane might go down.
Mechanical improvements during the First World War changed airplanes. Monoplanes (单翼飞机) took the place of biplanes. Pilots flew inside of covered cabins. Still, even these planes were small. Only rich people used to be able to travel in airplanes.
Now modern jets make air travel possible for all people. No place in the world is more than 24 hours away by jet. Further improvements have lowered the cost of flying, and they have made air travel much safer than it used to be. People never used to eat, sleep, or watch movies on airplanes. Now these things are a usual part of air travel.
41 According to the passage, why were camels called “ships of the desert”?
A Because they were strong and patient.
B Because they were the only important means of transportation in the desert.
C Because they moved faster than modern trains.
D Because they could travel 20 miles a day.
42 Which of the following about the advantages of a train is NOT mentioned in paragraph 2?
A Trains can use special cars for different purposes.
B Trains run much faster than camels.
C A train can carry much more goods than a camel.
D A train can carry goods at much lower costs.
43Biplanes were dangerous in bad weather because
A pilots had to fly them at top speed.
B the wings were too soft for pilots to sit on.
C their engines were too hot to work.
D they might go down if the wings became icy.
44 Which of the following led to the replacement of the biplane by the monoplane?
A Its large wings.
B Its small size.
C Its high price.
D The progress in science.
45 Which of the following would best replace the title of the passage?
A From Camels to Modem Jets.
B The Safest Means of Transportation.
C Camels — Ships of the Desert.
D The Role of Science in Transportation.